What Obama said, and what he wants

Since taking office in 2009, the president claims credit for several successful reforms targeting college affordability - including increasing awards of Pell Grants to 50 percent more students, a cap on student-loan repayments and a tuition-tax credit worth as much as $2,500 per student. Now Obama wants: * A program using $8 billion in targeted money - through so-called Perkins loans that are awarded by individual universities - which would reward campuses that make tuition affordable and do a good job of enrolling low-income students.
* Two other programs aiming to reward colleges that keep tuition costs down - a $1 billion "Race to the Top" competition for states that hold the line at public institutions and a $55 million plan for grants to reward efficiency. He also proposes to double work-study jobs.
* An $8 million "Community College to Career Fund" that aims to train future workers in areas including health care, transportation and high-tech manufacturing.
What's the downside? For one thing, some critics say that a full-court press for lower college tuition could drive universities to increase class sizes or eliminate adjunct professors, harming education.
More importantly, it's all but impossible for a new spending plan - especially one with the Obama imprimatur - to get past Republicans in Congress, although many GOPers have paid lip service to the concept of pressuring college administrators on tuition.
- Will Bunch